The 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, scheduled to take place July 11th, will allow NFL teams to "bid" on players who have met the eligibility requirements and have successfully entered the draft.
Six players have been selected in the Supplemental Draft since 2009, with the most recent being current Rams offensive tackle Isaiah Battle in 2015. Other notable Supplemental Draft selections of recent years are Josh Gordon (2012) and Terrelle Pryor (2011).
Below is all you need to know about the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, including how it works and which players are eligible for selection.
NFL Supplemental Draft 2018: How it works
The Supplemental Draft is similar to a silent auction. Each NFL team is able to place a bid privately to the league office using next year's NFL Draft picks as currency. The team with the highest bid (highest round of the pick bid) on a given player is awarded that player, and the team loses the draft pick it bid. If two teams bid the same draft round, then the league uses a predetermined order to settle the winner.
The predetermined draft order is a three-tiered system: teams with five or fewer wins from last season; teams with more than five wins but did not make the playoffs last season; and playoff teams from last season. Each group undergoes a lottery system with an increased probability for teams with lesser records.
For example:
- Team A finished with a record of 2-14; Team B finished 7-9; Team C finished 13-3
- Player X and Player Y were ruled eligible for the Supplemental Draft
- Team A places a third-round claim on Player X
- Team B places a third-round claim on Player X and a seventh-round claim on Player Y
- Team C places a fifth-round claim on Player X and a sixth-round claim on Player Y
- Team A is awarded Player X because it wins the tie between itself and Team B
- Team C is awarded Player Y because it was the only team to place a sixth-round bid for the player
MORE: Adonis Alexander talks supplemental draft prep, more in Q&A
NFL Supplemental Draft 2018: Selection process
On July 11th, all 32 teams (if they choose to) will place their bids on any of the eligible players for the Supplemental Draft. After all bids are submitted, the league office will determine which teams bid the highest future draft picks on which players and, in the event of a tie, consider the predetermined draft order.
By the end of the business day, the NFL will notify teams of who was awarded which players. The players who are selected will be added to their teams' 90-man rosters for training camp and will have chances to make 53-man rosters for the season.
If a player is not claimed in the Supplemental Draft, he is immediately deemed an undrafted free agent and may sign with any NFL team.
NFL Supplemental Draft 2018: Players eligible
To be eligible to enter the Supplemental Draft, a player must be at least three years removed from high school and entering his final year of college eligibility. The player must be unable to return for his final season in college, generally due to academic issues or indefinite suspension from his team. Each player must submit his name and request for entry into the Supplemental Draft to be eligible.
The following are the eligible players for 2018.
MORE: Scouting reports for eligible players
| Player | Position | School |
| Sam Beal | CB | Western Michigan |
| Adonis Alexander | CB | Virginia Tech |
| Brandon Bryant | S | Mississippi State |
| Martayveus Carter | RB | Grand Valley State |
| Bright Ugwoegbu | LB | Oregon State |